MacBook Pro
mck (0 pencils) | Wed, 2006-01-11 11:03
A good start, but not soup yet
Apparently Apple decided to release Intel Macs earlier then expected - but only on an experimental basis, figuring as the older PowerBook line is still available (to fall back on, in case the MacBook Pro doesn't get a good response).
First impressions: the "MacBook Pro" name is rather generic, not as good as the PowerBook name that has been used since 1991, but I guess they wanted to convey change.
The TFT is bigger than the previous laptops by .2", and yet it has a lower resolution (who can explain this?)
It doesn't have a PC card slot (a welcome change) but no FireWire 800 either. I know that Apple is phasing FireWire out, but until they have something to replace it they shouldn't take it out (leaving users with USB 2, which is only 480 MBps and has a higher overhead than FireWire.
It has a remote control for Front Row like the iMacs do, and an iSight, which are cool gimmicks but I don't suspect they get much use from professional users.
So the question is, are you going to buy it?
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Mackie, they did replace it, with something better - you are underestimating the power of the newly introduced Expresscard slot!
from: http://emperor.tidbits.com/.3c74ac53
Apple's MacBook Pro will be the first model to feature an ExpressCard slot, which is a smaller and more versatile interface to the PCI-Express serial standard. The card slot handles one lane of traffic, which is 250 MB/s or about 2 Gbps.
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/whatsinside.html
http://www.expresscard.org/web/site/qa.jsp
Apple vice president David Moody confirmed in a briefing this afternoon, that Apple thought the best way to provide performance and flexibility was not to include FireWire 800 as a fixed port on the models.
Instead, with 2 Gbps of bandwidth from the slot, an ExpressCard could, for instance, offer two simultaneous FireWire 800 ports that could run at full speed. This could support an extremely fast set of RAID 0 (striped) disks, for instance, with four disks being striped in an A, B, C, D fashion for a total throughput of 1.6 Gbps, limited only by the disks read and write speeds.
While the PC Card and CardBus card slots found in PowerBooks and other laptops have aged poorly, finding little except advanced wireless cards (PC only, typically) and cellular data cards to occupy them, it's likely that the extremely high throughput of the ExpressCard slot will result in more options for moving data around.
Because the MacBook Pro can support a 30-inch Apple display--it has the dual-link technology built-in--the obvious notion of a second monitor supported by an ExpressCard adapter makes no sense. But a third monitor? You got it.
If you read through those links you posted, you'll notice one VERY important shortcoming of the expresscard/34 slot (via expresscard.org) - it specifically does NOT support memory cards like the ubiquitous compact flash cards. So how exactly are professional photographers suppose to transfer images off of their cameras in the field, USB v1.1 (joy, more cables to lug around with you)? Wireless and cellular data cards aren't the only use for the PC card slot on PowerBooks.
While the theoretical increase in speed is welcomed (or will be when pro apps go universal binary), the new MacBook Pro suffers from Windoze PC laptop dongleitis:
FAX/modem: external only (not everywhere in the world has wireless broadband).
Memory Card reader: external, USB only.
S Video out: adaptor only.
FW800: adaptor only (do any exist yet?).
Did anyone else notice that the DVD burner is a slower, less capable model as well (single layer, not dual layer)?
Part of the mystique of the PowerBook was having everything with you on the road without an octopus of cables and dongles around it.
I'll agree with you there. MacBook Pro is so freakin generic it sounds like something dell would come up with. What are they gonna call the new PowerMacs when they're updated? MacDesk Pro???
Other than the name, there's not much there to not like. Everything about the machine is sweet! The loss of 1 of the Firewire ports means nothing to 90% of the people out there - especially considering that you still get a Firewire 400 port. I know the rumor mill has it that Apple is dropping Firewire, but perhaps someone should let Apple know that.
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Yeah, I think Compaq had a model called the DeskPro back in the day. Blech!
I like the new expansion slot, but they should've kept FW800 in...
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I'm guessing it's a lower resolution (vertically) because it's making room for the isight?
I think they should have called it the Mo'PowerBook as its "mo' betta" ;-)
Damien
Questions:
Does/ would anyone actually use the remote?
Why is the remote IR and not bluetooth?
IR is such an old, inflexible technology.
A lot of people either have, or will soon have, a bluetooth enabled phone therefore making the remote obsolete, (you can control the machine by your phone via bluetooth).
Just my thoughts.
take it there > http://www.rickler.com
I see this as a transitional laptop, one that will most likely be phased out relatively quickly...kinda like the old quicksilver g4s they came, and went, then the mirrored ones came...and went a look quicker than the usual product life. I'm hoping this powerbook does the same, comes and goes, as I am in the market.
I really will miss the firewire 800 as I have an external hd and digital video camera that I use regularly that require it. Is there some sort of adapter that will let u use your 800 in a 400? Nevermind, just googled it, such an adapter exists.
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"The higher you jump on the flagpole, the higher the bonus you receive."
I see it as transitional too. It's like buying a brand new make of car the first year it is put in production. The next year you're kicking yourself because they've introduced a slew of upgrades/fixes/features.
I am dying to get my hands on a good Mac laptop, which it seems apple is on its way to making. Definitely interested to see how the first round of users respond to it.
Oh, and the name is horrible. The words "MacBook" and "Pro" just seem a little odd together...
After working in the hardware engineering division of Apple for over 5 years I can tell you that I don't buy first rev products. Not that they're crap, but i can't tell you how many bugs i've had open at the time of ship.
I'm relieved with the name change. I can remember all the way back when the PowerPC chip first was introduced thinking what a silly name that was. Power? That sounds so childish. Why not name it MegaBook or SuperDooperBook? The new name is consistent with their identity. It is after all, a Mac...
Sometimes a less grandiose, simpler answer is better. Although UltraBook might have been pretty funny.
I know it's not the norm here at Creativebits, but I'm a PC user. A big reason for that is my love of gaming. I don't have the money for two systems at this point in my life so I've always stuck with PC's because they have more games (and run them better) One of the things I like about these new Intel Macs is the fact that they will be able to dual boot with Windows Vista.
For that reason I will probably get the next generation Macbook Pro. After they iron out any kinks.